NSA Phone Bugging Claim: El-Rufai Makes Biggest Political Mistake – Ikechukwu

Political analyst, Okey Ikechukwu, has criticised recent remarks by former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, describing them as one of the most significant political mistakes of his public career.

Speaking on ‘The Morning Show’ on Arise News Channel on Tuesday, Ikechukwu said El-Rufai’s comments were presented as factual assertions rather than speculation, particularly his claim that the communication lines of the the National Security Adviser (NSA) were tapped in his favour.

“Well, the statements of Nasir El-Rufai are not gestural or, if you like, he wasn’t guessing. He made very specific statements declaring that the communication lines of the NSA is, if you like, tapped.”

“He declared even more convincingly, in case you’re doubting him, that it’s not only the government that has the capacity to do that,” he said.

Ikechukwu stressed that breaching the privacy of a public office holder, especially where confidential information is involved, amounts to both a violation of privacy and an intrusion into national security infrastructure.

“You have no right to violate anybody’s privacy if somebody is holding a public office, and violating the privacy of confidential information or information access to that office is also a violation of privacy. On top of that, it is an encroachment on the infrastructure of national security.”

He warned that the remarks could have serious political implications for El-Rufai, noting that the issue touched on sensitive national security concerns.

“I may be mistaken, but this seems to me to be one of El-Rufai’s biggest political mistakes in his career as a public officer,” he added.

Ikechukwu further noted that the statement could raise concerns among countries battling insurgency and terrorism in the region.

“It’s a matter of national security. Remember there are four countries under pressure from Boko Haram and terrorists Nigeria, Benin, Niger and Chad. Those countries will be interested in his statement,” he said.

Describing the situation as alarming, Ikechukwu maintained that the statement may have been made for political advantage but has generated more controversy than expected.

“So this is a frightening statement that has to be treated with every seriousness. It was intended to get political mileage. Well, he has got more mileage than they can handle. I don’t see anybody joking with this.”